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D-261
Dance Orientation

PROMPT: Personal Dance Treatise; e-Portfolio

Considering how brilliantly Martha Graham was able to express her passions and beliefs
concerning dance in the essay, I Am a Dancer, write your own personal treatise on dance. This is a
personal essay articulating your individual philosophy of dance. It should demonstrate both
original ideas and inquiry/research that could include: definitions of dance; your specific
connection to dance as a performer, creator, teacher, historian, future parent, and as a person of
LDS culture. Create a title for your essay.

Items to Consider:
What are your beliefs about dance?
What is the value of dance in someone life?
Is dance unique within the arts?
Is there something specific about dance that causes you to be passionate about it?
Does LDS culture inform your passion for dance and its specific qualities?
*This is not a journal entry or testimony paper. It is an essay that should have: 1) specific
support/references; 2) clear and defined reasoning; 3) expanded thinking which demonstrates
critical analysis. This assignment can utilize a creative approach (i.e. an original poem, other
creative writing, etc.) but should also include endnotes and a reference page) listing sources that
have informed your writing).
Regarding your writing:

Is it memorable?
Does it have a clear thesis statement?
Does each paragraph begin with a clear topic sentence?
Are paragraphs unified, coherent, focused, fully developed and not too long.
Do clear transitions mark the connections between the paragraphs or sections?
Are ideas clear and easy to follow?
Do spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word usage create a professional presentation?
Is borrowed material (i.e. quotations, ideas) introduced and cited appropriately?

Length
Chicago Writing Style

Sources
Writing Lab
this assignment
e-Portfolio

1,000 -1,250 words, 12 pt font

Include the title page, reference page and endnotes
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/02/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QJInluARdY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBV9p9MmT8c
5 (minimum)
Verify that you have had feedback from three outside proofreaders for
Upload this paper to your ePortfolio

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Due Date

Refer to the assignment list on Learning Suite

Dance Opened My Soul

(This title does not grab me. I think we need to rethink this.)The Dancer Within Me
Personal Treatise

Anna Tanner
Dance 261-Orientation to Dance
Edwin Austin
November 183, 2016

Dance Opened My Soul

I dance to express a passion emotions from deep inside my soul. I believe that we
each have a passion for something in this life and the way we communicate this passion is
not through words, but through action. Martha Graham once said, Great dancers are
great not because of their technique, but because of their passion.12 Passion involves the
expression of beliefs by showcasing the energy we feel inside about something to flow out.
With we have the desire to express that feeling. Martha Graham once said, Great dancers
are great not because of their technique, but because of their passion.3 dDance, passion is
something that makes people want to move: bending, twisting, extending, and using
movement to demonstrate the state of passion and emotion a person feels inside. it comes
from a desire. This art formIt is lovely beautiful and engaging because the dancer is using a
unique combination of emotive and rhythmic movements in the choreography to paint a
dramatic masterpiece on the canvas of the stage. we can create a beautiful art with the human
body.
Being a successful dancer beginsAlong with emotion and having a desire to dance
comes your successexpress oneself through movement. Success is comes in achieving a desired
1

Bhasin, Prihana. "City of Blinding Lights." Drain Dog. October 31, 2016. Accessed
November 6, 2016. https://draindog.wordpress.com/2016/10/31/city-of-blinding-lights/.

Bhasin, Prihana. "City of Blinding Lights." Drain Dog. October 31, 2016. Accessed
November 6, 2016. https://draindog.wordpress.com/2016/10/31/city-of-blinding-lights/.

Bhasin, Prihana. "City of Blinding Lights." Drain Dog. October 31, 2016. Accessed
November 6, 2016. https://draindog.wordpress.com/2016/10/31/city-of-blinding-lights/.

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purpose. I have been inspired by Kathryn McCormick, who is a professional dancer and
mentor on the show So You Think You Can Dance. She said, Success has nothing to do
with how popular you are or how many awards or affirmations you receive. Success
is based on what you carry in your heart and in your mind.24 In essence, it is how you see
yourself, the attitude you have about your abilities and capabilities. I think the reason that
people are successful in dance is because they put their soul into it. When I go into dance
class, I should must first prepare myself mentally. I do this by allow myself to leavinge my
outside the problems of the world problems around me, negative self-talk, and judgments
coming from the attitudes of others.and previous judgements aside. If you allow other peoples
judgementsattitudes and judgments to affect you, then you are being held back from your
own potential. The dDance community can be a very judgmental world place because you
are constantly being compared to the people around you. As a teacher, McCormick talked
about how she has had to work with students who face their own insecurities, much like she
once did. She said, I try to constantly remind the kids I teach, to not worry about what everyone
is thinking of you. If you shift the perspective and remember thats your moment to give a gift,
you feel like what youre doing is bigger than yourself. Thats when youre living in your
purpose.5 We can come to learn that others may need us to perform for them, to support
and uplift, not to just be the best at what we do.
22 Fuhrer, Margarhet. "Kathryn McCormick Talks Like Air and SYTYCD."

Http://www.dancespirit.com/news/kathryn-mccormick-talks-like-air-and-sytycd/. 2016.
Fuhrer, Margarhet. "Kathryn McCormick Talks Like Air and SYTYCD."
Http://www.dancespirit.com/news/kathryn-mccormick-talks-like-air-and-sytycd/. 2016.
4

Toomer, Julie. This So You Think You Can Dance Star Is Inspiring The Next Generation.
Guideposts.org. Accessed October 9, 2016. https://www.guideposts.org/positive-living/this-soyou-think-you-can-dance-star-is-inspiring-the-next-generation/page/0/1
5

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Becoming a beautiful and engaging dancer requires more than emotion and desire, it
requires practice. Every dayAs I work to unleash my potential, I hear the words, Practice,
practice, practice every day. . Growing up I heard those words from my parents and
mentors that who have helped push me, so I can magnify the talent and abilities inside me.
Practice requires dedication, deliberate focus on fundamentals, and energy to inspire the hope
that the hours of effort spent are leading to an improved product. become the best person I can
be. Practice is a chancepushes you to perfect a skill and or opportunity to trust the refining
process of refining a skill. Practice is also important to me repeat the exercise so that I can
maintain proficiency in itin skill and to remember the routine. There are so many different
styles of dance and all can express a deep feeling and emotion. We can observe the beauty
of different styles and recognize the beauty that comes from using our bodies to create
shape and movement. Kathryn McCormick expressed what she heard from her partner
Tate on the new season of So You Think You Can Dance. She said, Hearing that Tates
greatest goals are to be humble and kind and to make people feel somethingthat she
wanted to be on the show not to win, but to learnI knew, then, that I wanted to tell stories
with her.3 These words emphasize that there is a sense of dedication that is needed to
make your practice worthwhile. I have seen this as I haveve partnered with my brother in
ballroom dance. We occasionally have our sibling spats, but as we both mature, we are striving
to dance with try to get along and to have purpose, passion, aand purposelove of the sport . This
makes competitions less about titles and medals and more about becoming stronger, wiser, and

33 Toomer, Julie. This So You Think You Can Dance Star Is Inspiring The Next Generation.

Guideposts.org. Accessed October 9, 2016. https://www.guideposts.org/positive-living/this-soyou-think-you-can-dance-star-is-inspiring-the-next-generation/page/0/1

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betterin our dancing, so that it isnt discouraging at competitions as we compete to win
medals..
There is much beauty as we seekBeauty is another critical element in the creative art of
dance. Neal A. Maxwell taught, Creative expression can also represent the celebration of
our gratitude to God for our gifts and talents.46 The values that are taught from being
creative in your work and allowing the help of the Lord to make your work a beautiful
experience makes the true creativity come as such a satisfying feeling. Being As a member
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I have pondered on the principles taught
in the doctrine ofregarding God being the creator of the worlds. and drawing our attention
fromFrom His attention to such details as the beauty of the lilies of the field, to the power
contained in the tiny mustard seed, specifically relates to the medium ofI know that in dance,
because each specific movement created in a dance or piece has meaning. Each step, turn,
hand gesture, and facial expression, whether great or small, it is created and executed with
purpose. Dance is a powerful source medium that can bring a spiritual and uplifting feeling
to life.
We need dance to remind us that our bodies and our brains are not separate things.
Nora Ambrosio said, All choreographers use the elements of space, time, and energy
whenever they create a dance. Some choreographers make conscious decisions to
manipulate these elements in a dance, while others allow instinct to dictate what the work

44 Maxwell, Neal A. Creativity. New Era. August 1982.

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Maxwell, Neal A. Creativity. New Era. August 1982.

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will look like.5 7 The choreography process is ongoing. Be aware of the world around you
and keep an open-mind to all possibilities. You can create a masterpiece as you explore this
creative process and arent afraid to fail.
"All great art is an expression of man's delight in God's work, not his own."5 Dance
has special value to me because I can express something meaningful without using words. I can
share the light that God has given me to uplift others and to be an instrument in His hands.
Elder M. Russell Ballard gave an address at the Mormon Arts festival entitled, The Lords
Purpose for the Artist in the Gospels Plan. In this address, he said, God's purpose for the
artist in the Gospel plan is ultimately the same as for all his children: to bring to pass their
immortality and eternal life. Each of us must use our tools, our gifts and opportunities to
triumph in the contest of mortality.8.6 The ability to tell stories and emotion through dance is
a real gift, and I choose to often use this gift as a tool in bringing light to others and sharing my
way of life with them. In the LDS culture, we have been given standards to stand and live by. I
have learned to live by those standards and to stand firm into my beliefs even when faced with
the challenge ofs as being an artist and performer in the dance world. I have learned that all
good things come from God. If you ever question whether you should be a dancer or if you should
55 Amrosio, Nora. Learning about Dance. 3rd ed. Dance as an Art Form and Entertainment.

Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2003.

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Amrosio, Nora. Learning about Dance. 3rd ed. Dance as an Art Form and Entertainment.
Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2003.

Ballard, Russell M. "The Lord's Purpose for the Artist in the Gospel Plan." Mormon Arts
Festival. 1995. Accessed November/December, 2016.
http://www.watchmeninstitute.org/ma/ma95/ballard.html.

66 Ballard, Russell M. "The Lord's Purpose for the Artist in the Gospel Plan." Mormon Arts

Festival. 1995. Accessed November/December, 2016.

http://www.watchmeninstitute.org/ma/ma95/ballard.html.

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pursue your journey with dance, you can always seek advice from others, but overall in the end, I
know that it should be a decision between you and God.
As an art from, dance is an avenue to express the way you feelfeelings and emoptions
through a creative processmovements. I have found as I focus on centering my dancing around my
personal beliefs and values, it brings me much peace and I feel happy because I am sharing the
gifts I have been given with others who need some joy in their life. Once you find purpose in your
dance, then you can choose to keep dreaming and believing that you can achieve those things for
which what you haveve hoped for.

BibliographyReferences
Amrosio, Nora. Learning about Dance. 3rd ed. Dance as an Art Form and Entertainment.
Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2003.
Ballard, Russell M. "The Lord's Purpose for the Artist in the Gospel Plan." Mormon Arts
Festival. 1995. Accessed November/December, 2016.
http://www.watchmeninstitute.org/ma/ma95/ballard.html.

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Bhasin, Prihana. "City of Blinding Lights." Drain Dog. October 31, 2016. Accessed
November 6, 2016. https://draindog.wordpress.com/2016/10/31/city-of-blindinglights/.
Fuhrer, Margarhet. "Kathryn McCormick Talks Like Air and SYTYCD."
Http://www.dancespirit.com/news/kathryn-mccormick-talks-like-air-and-sytycd/.
2016.
Maxwell, Neal A. Creativity. New Era. August 1982.
Toomer, Julie. This So You Think You Can Dance Star Is Inspiring The Next
Generation. Guideposts.org. Accessed October 9, 2016.
https://www.guideposts.org/positive-living/this-so-you-think-you-can-dance-star-isinspiring-the-next-generation/page/0/1
.